The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-01-07
WILLIAM MATTHEWS0N.
A GENUINE HERO OF THE WILD
WESTERN PLAINS.
How He Became q Favorite With the
Indians and How He Saved Much
BIoodshed-Some of His Thrilling ADJ
Especial Correspondence


Boston, Dec 13-William Matthewson,
of Fort Sill, l. T., stands six feet two inches,
with head on him that would have done for a
senator when men were senators; chin square
scut; square shouldered; you would say q
nan on the square as you looked at him.
Modestsas the brave ever are, not disposed to
talk untilehe is sure of his man. Rut when
he does talk the days of Daniel Boone do not
seem SO far away. See him as he sits in
front of his ranch, grave as Roman SEN
ator. Yonder galloping across the plains
comes an Indian. As he comes nearer we
see he has the physique of giant. Matthew
sons face kindles.
at is Big Bow" he says.
The Indian rides within forty PAGES of us,
but veers off toward the Quaker agency.
AS he does he shouts and points that way,
"Sinpah Zilbah Come, agent"
There has been trouble; he wants Sinpah
Zilbah-''the dangerous one with long hair on
his chin"-as the Kiowas have named
Matthewson, to help him get at this Quaker
agent, who seems to him half squaw man.
How has this man made himself power
with the fiercest chief among the Kiowass
Years ago in the state of New York was
lad with hot restless heart; that heart had
not been made restless by the cheap novel, for
the cheap novel was not yet. His heart was
restless because it was a big heart, full Of
courage and high daring. That heart had
been fired by book, but it was very noble
book, the life of one of our very bravest
Americans, John C. Fremont. Well, the 10y
did what my boy readers had better not
do, unless they are absolutely sure they have
as lofty heart as William Matthewson had:
he ran away, and he struck for the path the
great pathfinder had found-the overland
route to California Out and out he went
into the heart of what was called once the
great American desert but which never was
desert, only q great plain, stretching,
stretching, as the great Lake Michigan
stretches, and which. perhaps, was the bottom
of great lake once. The ranch where the
youth stopped was also in the heart of the
Indian country. The Kiowas were there, and
fierce, fearless fellows they were, who could
look you square in the face without fiinching,
The Comanches, too, occasionally swept up
there, short and squatty, inferior looking
save on horseback, and they did not look well
square in the eyc-they cast furtive side
wise glances The Kiowas took lovingly to
him when they came in. And while he was
learning frontier lore from the ranchmen he
was learning as fast as he could the Kiowa
language.
At % he pushed out further alone in the
Kiowa country and established ranch. 1t is
enough of a trading ranch to give him an ex-
cuse to stay among them. His ranch, being
the farthest out this side the Rocky moun-
tains, is haven to weary overlanders to Cal
ifornia
Matthewson, besides the Kiowa language,
had learned the sign language, which is the
common language between all of the tribes.
If you ask an Indian how far any place is,
and IL he docs nos sfseaiS otss aslig grssso, he
will tell you how many sleeps off it is.
sleep is about twenty miles. Ii it is about
201 miles off he will lay his head in his hand,
close his eyes and then hold up both hands
it is ten sleeps off. If he wished to tell you
you lied he would thrust out two iniex fin
gers from his mouth, making an obuu!e angle,
"You talk forked." Matthewson understood
this sign language perfectly, but the Indians
did not know this. Some Indians of another
tribe had come in. They We're talking this
sign language to group of Kiowas:
"What is it?"
"a prisoner got away. Prisoner white
and a young girl. Stole one of their ponies.
Got away in a storm. win give one, two,
three, four, five cattle Kiowa catch her."
San at once it flashed over me-" he said.
"A young Blf1 alOLlo Ou JIG pldiIiS, GWo tIlDEo
banding to catch herl My brave one I'm on
your side! / sold them or half gave them
the goods to get them away. slipped away
myself cautiously, quietly. | saddled two
horses, my mare Bess and splendid horse
had I took my carbine and two Colt re-
volvers: told some struggling Kiowas that
were still there, My cattle gone; I must go
hunt Them I pushed off on the course
knew she would likely take. In few
hours struck trail. 1 examine it close;
yes it is hersl Before this 1 strike a
small band of Kiowa Indians who were scour-
ing the plains for her trail Where you go-
ingr Hunt my cattle; four got way; two
red, two spotted push on. l follow the
trail as long as can see; camp; partner was
young then, I didn't sleep muchl As soon
as can see the bent and crushed grass of the
trail again / push ON, east, ever eastward
That girl has got sense as we'll as pluck. She
knows the settlement lies there Bess tosses
her head and leads out in long stride. Sup
pose those red devils strike across and get
ahead of mel Wen, If it comes to the worst,
Couldn't 20 down in a better cause. Hour
after hour nothing but the sweep and hateful
sameness of the stretch of the prairie. 1t is
In the middle of the second evening. By
God! there's a speck! Come Bess, we'n
make that speck grow bigger. It's horse!
and there's some one ON it.
sPartner I'm not the praying kind, but
did thank the Almighty. When she looked
around and saw me she was nigh frightened
to death. Her eyes looked just like fright
ened fawn's, but the next time she turncC
they looked like fawn's when it finds out its
mother has scared it. Her Indian pony was
shaky. had her on my led horse in jffy.
We pushed for the first station or ranch on
the route We changed horses there and still
pushed OH. We were not safe yet. | carried
her to the settlement In Kansas,
AHer folks had all been murdered in Texas.
She made her homo there afterwards. Part
ner, it would make prettier ending for me
to say married that girl; but didn't; my
time hadn't come yet. Later on I lariated a
splendid girl up off o Kansas prairie"
In 1860 William Mattlewson earned the
title OF Buffalo Bill Tho Kansas droughts
had cnt short two successive crops. Settlers
wcrc absolutely starving Kiowas, Sioux
and Cheyennes were on the warpath. Again
the chivalrous knight arose in MattheWson.
Out in the range OF these hostile tribes were
plenty Of buffalo He got wagon train
together and said, sFollosv mel" In G few
DAYS the wagons werc back to the settle
ments, loaded down with buffalo meat,
while he remained out there. Train after
train goes out, to come back with life saving
meat Grateful settlers would say: @Who
killed your buffalc?n 3Buffalo killer him.
SELF they would just say. Then few of
those who know him would call him Bill.
Then some teamster, catching the name. when
he was asked, would reply, @It was Bill
Buffalo BILL That was in 1860 Frontiers
men say there is no account of it being used
earlier.
During the latter part OF the civil war the
Indians, hearing OF our family row, thoughtit
quite good time to have out their grndge
against u.s. The tribes had combined more
than they had at any time since the Tecunl-
sch coalition. III 1867 the Indian war was
still raging. Wise ones saw the only way to
put an end to this was to somehow manage to
treat with all of the tribes. But how to get
then together whsa they were all on the war
path; who would dare for che public veal to
trust himself IN this den of raging Hild
beastsa Some ono suggested Matthewsol-
They went TO see him. He told them:
Il don't wish to die yet, life is sweet to
me yet know those Indians, and know
the snan who goes TO thenl lakes his Afe in
his hand They went away, but again they
came to him with eatreatias. Offering him
S50
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